Amalia Guglielminetti
Amalia Guglielminetti, born in 1881 in Turin, Italy, was a notable poet and writer known for her nonconformist views and passionate literary pursuits. Raised in a well-to-do family after the death of her father, she exhibited an independent spirit early on, refusing to accept the religious teachings at her boarding school. Guglielminetti gained prominence in the Italian literary scene with the publication of three poetry books, which drew both scandal and admiration, particularly from the esteemed poet Guido Gozzano, with whom she had a tumultuous romantic relationship that greatly influenced her work.
As she distanced herself from Gozzano's influence, Guglielminetti carved out her own identity, advocating for erotic freedom and sexual equality while deliberately distancing herself from the feminist movement. Her literary contributions included a range of poetry and short stories that reinforced her image as a bold and defiant figure, further shaped by her involvement with the writer Dino Segre, known as Pitigrilli. This relationship sparked a fierce rivalry when Guglielminetti founded her own journal, Le Seduzioni, leading to a public feud that culminated in legal battles.
Guglielminetti's life took a tragic turn when she was declared insane following the altercation with Pitigrilli, resulting in a period spent in a mental institution. She passed away in 1941 after an accident during an air raid, leaving behind a legacy as a pioneer of literary expression and a complex figure in early 20th-century Italian culture. Her tombstone bears the inscription, "The one who walks alone," reflecting her distinctive path in life and literature.
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Amalia Guglielminetti
Poet
- Born: May 5, 1881
- Birthplace: Turin, Italy
- Died: December 4, 1941
Biography
Amalia Guglielminetti was born in Turin, Italy, in 1881. After her father died when she was five, Guglielminetti and her brother and two sisters were raised by their widowed mother and her mother’s father, a wealthy entrepreneur. Guglielminetti’s grandfather sent her to a religious boarding school, where her independent spirit was evident in her refusal to accept the beliefs of the nuns who were her teachers. After leaving school, Guglielminetti published three books of poetry in quick succession, scandalizing her family and attracting the attention of the Italian cultural elite, particularly Guido Gozzano, the prime mover behind the “twilight school” of poetry. Guglielminetti resisted Gozzano’s aesthetics but not his charms; their long, intense romantic involvement resulted in an extensive exchange of letters that resemble nothing so much as an epistolary novel. Guglielminetti’s literary apprenticeship ended when the relationship ended. Their correspondence was eventually published in 1951, a decade after Guglielminetti’s death.
Removing herself from Gozzano’s sphere of influence, Guglielminetti pursued her own course, advocating erotic freedom and sexual equality for all women while eschewing feminism itself. In 1911, she opened a literary salon and published her first verse drama. Short story and poetry collections followed, each burnishing Guglielminetti’s public image as a defiant, dark beauty, an image further enhanced by her involvement with the novelist Dino Segre, also known as Pitigrilli. Pitigrilli was Guglielminetti’s junior by twelve years; he was also the author of mass market fiction that promoted sexual permissiveness. His influence can be seen in Guglielminetti’s novels, both of which were considered scandalous in their day.
Continuing along her nonconformist path, in 1926 Guglielminetti founded her own journal, Le Seduzioni. When Pitigrilli began producing a rival periodical, the fight between the former lovers raged on for years, spilling over onto the pages of their journals and ultimately ending in an ugly court battle. Guglielminetti, who had altered Pitigrilli’s letters in order to show his anti-Fascist leanings, was declared insane. Humiliated, she entered a mental institution for an extended period. In 1941, while running to safety during an air raid, she fell on a hotel staircase, injuring herself badly. She died in a hospital a few days later as a result of complications from her fall. Her tombstone was engraved with a epitaph of her own choosing: “The one who walks alone.” Her significance remains that of a pioneer.